BASEBALL: Cohasset beats Norwell for third win this week

The Skippers got four hits from Tommy O'Brien and three RBI from Tim Cavanaro on Thursday to post a 14-9 home win.

John R. JohnsonFor The Patriot Ledger

COHASSET – The Cohasset High baseball team is heating up at the right time. After losing five of six games during a mid-season stretch, the Skippers won their third game of the week on Thursday, a 14-9 slugfest against Norwell.

The Skippers banged out 14 hits, including four singles and two RBI from right fielder Tommy O’Brien and three RBI from senior designated hitter Tim Cavanaro.

“We’ve had a pretty big week so far in beating Abington on Monday and then taking care of Carver on Tuesday,” said Cohasset coach Pete Afanasiw. “We were struggling a bit in the middle of the season, but the guys are turning the corner. We weren’t exactly playing good baseball, but we’re minimizing our mistakes now.”

Cohasset (8-6) has six games remaining and needs to win two more to qualify for the state tournament. The loss dropped Norwell to 7-7. The Clippers need to win three of their final six games to qualify.

Norwell jumped on Cohasset for three runs in the first inning, taking advantage of some early wildness by starting pitcher Ryan McKeon, who beat the Clippers for the second time this season and earned his fourth victory of the season. McKeon settled down after the second inning, and freshman Mike Cohen pitched a scoreless seventh inning to close the game for Cohasset.

“We don’t have one particular pitcher who is going to dominate and strike out 15 guys,” said Afanasiw. “We ask them to throw strikes and give us a chance to win the game.”

With Norwell leading 4-2, Cohasset sent 13 batters to the plate in the second inning, with seven consecutive batters reaching base. Cavanaro, Terence Doonan, O’Brien, Mickey Barry, Brendan O’Connell and Nick Hall all had hits in the frame. O’Brien is now batting .409 on the season, while Doonan (3 for 4) is at .377.

“We knew that (Norwell starter Cam Labadie) is a quality pitcher,” said Afanasiw. “He kept us off balance the first time we faced him, so the kids knew they had to be locked in and disciplined at the plate. It was good to see those hits coming.”

Norwell tried to get back in the game with a three-run sixth inning, highlighted by a towering two-run homer to left by junior Tom Larason and a run-scoring double from Liam Kennedy.

“We got up on them early but no lead is ever safe here,” Norwell coach Tom Jacobs said. “We got off to a good start and my pitchers threw strikes, but Cohasset just hit the ball great.”